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FLOW Automation User’s Guide 


 

Version 2021.2 

February 2021 

   

TP-00357-11 
​Copyright © 2021 by EditShare 

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Contents 
System Requirements 8 

Workflow Design Process 9 

Technical Support 10 

Starting FLOW Automation 11 

FLOW Automation Views 12 

Automation Design View 12 

Automation Monitor View 14 

Arranging the Desktop 15 

Resizing the Desktop 15 

Scrolling and Zooming the Design Window 15 

Setting the Language in Your User Profile 16 

Workflow Settings Menu 16 

Exiting FLOW Automation 16 

About the Workflow Template Palette 17 

Triggers 17 

Inputs 17 

Filters 18 

Tasks 18 

Joining Elements 19 

Method 1 (Quick Method) 19 

Method 2 20 

Creating a Simple Workflow Template 20 

Adding an External Trigger Element 20 

Adding a Task Element 22 

Testing the Workflow Template 24 


Completing the Automation Template 25 

Activating the Automation Template 26 

Accessing Automation within FLOW Story 27 

Extending Workflow Template Functionality 27 

Using Decision Filters 28 

Creating a Template with a Watch Folder Trigger 28 

Adding a Metadata Filter Element 29 

Adding a Notification Task 30 

Adding a Task to the Second Metadata Filter Output 31 

Element Colors and Notes 31 

Changing Element Colors 31 

Renaming Elements 32 

Adding Notes to Workflow Templates 32 

Workflow Template Management 32 

Setting Concurrent Jobs 32 

Locking and Unlocking a Template 33 

Activating and Deactivating a Workflow Template 34 

Copying Workflow Templates 34 

Deleting Workflow Templates 35 

Creating Log Files for Templates 35 

Exporting and Importing Workflow Templates 36 

Exporting Workflow Templates 36 

Importing Workflow Templates 37 

Introduction 38 

Considerations for System Resources 38 

Default Automation Account 38 

Masstech FlashNet Storage Login 38 


Using Automation 39 

Caveats 39 

Masstech MassStore Integration 39 

FLOW Integration 39 

MassStore Server Configuration 40 

FLOW Media Space Configuration 40 

Ranged Markers 41 

Trigger Elements 42 

External Trigger 42 

Interval Trigger 43 

Manual Trigger 43 

Metadata Trigger 44 

Time Trigger 44 

Watch Folder Trigger 45 

Input Elements 47 

Storage Space Input 47 

Search Input 49 

Search Input 49 

Filter Elements 49 

Baton QC Filter 50 

Metadata Filter 51 

QScan QC Filter 52 

VidChecker QC Filter 53 

Task Elements 55 

Fields with Combined Input Values 55 

Aspera Task 56 

Copy Task 58 


Copy with Passthrough Task 59 

Delay Task 60 

Delete Task 61 

FTP Task 62 

Metadata Export Task 64 

Metadata Task 66 

Notification Task 67 

Project Task 68 

Scan Task 69 

Script Runner Task 70 

Task Outputs 71 

Send To FLOW Site Task 72 

Send to Amazon S3 Task 73 

Transcode Task 75 

Transcode with Passthrough Task 78 

Conditional Operators 79 

Boolean 79 

Text 80 

Numeric 80 

Date/Time 81 

Color 81 

Combining Expressions 82 

Example 1 82 

Example 2 83 

Example 3 83 

Activated Jobs 85 

Activating Automation Event Triggering 85 


Queued Jobs Viewer 86 

Running Jobs Queue 87 

Completed Jobs 88 

Informational Tools 88 

Summary Box 89 

Context Menu 89 

Network 91 

Cannot Connect to FLOW Server 91 

Cannot Log In 91 

‘Automation service unavailable!’ Message 92 

‘The Automation Service is temporarily unavailable’ Message 92 

No Network Folders or Storage Spaces Visible 92 

Workflow Template Designer 92 

Test Failed 92 

Workflow Template does not Run 93 

Cannot Open Workflow Template for Editing 93 


 

   


Chapter 1: Introduction 
This chapter provides an overall description of EditShare FLOW Automation, an automated workflow tool 
that performs repetitive jobs on items such as; folders, files metadata, and video formats. 

This User Guide assumes that: 

● The EditShare FLOW Automation system has been installed and fully configured. 
● You have been given access rights to use FLOW Automation. 

If either of the previous requirements have not been met, refer to the FLOW Administrator’s Guide for 
details. 

FLOW Automation consists of a Workflow Connector and a Jobs Manager. The Workflow Connector allows 
the user to create both simple and complex workflow templates using Triggers, Inputs, Tasks and Filters. 

Triggers define how a workflow is started, for example, a specific time or a change of metadata. Tasks are 
the jobs that are carried out on the results of a filter. One or more of the following tasks can be included in 
a workflow template, in any combination: 

● Copy or move files from one folder to another. 


● Delete media, metadata or archives. 
● Assign a property to a metadata field. 
● Export metadata to XML formats. 
● Add or remove Projects. 
● Quick, normal or full scans of storage spaces with optional auto-delete and proxy generation. 
● Transcode media to a specified format and save to a nominated location. 
● Insert a delay into a workflow. 
● Send an email notification. 
● Upload files to an FTP server or cloud storage. 

   


The power of FLOW Automation’s workflow templates are enhanced by adding customized, 
decision-making filters, based on true/false tests or search matches, to inputs and tasks. Workflow 
templates are built graphically on screen in the style of a process flowchart.

Once active, workflow templates are triggered when their defined criteria are met. Each time a template is 
triggered, a FLOW Automation Job is created. You can review the progress and status of each job in the 
FLOW Automation Job Queue. 

In common with other EditShare applications in the FLOW suite, dockable windows are employed, 
allowing users to adjust the screen layout to suit their preferences. 

System Requirements
You can use FLOW Automation on most web browsers for Windows, OS X, iOS, Linux and Android 
workstations, and handheld devices. You must keep your web browser up to date, to take advantage of 
the full functionality of FLOW Automation’s advanced features. We recommend that the Flash plug-in is 
not installed. 


Workflow Design Process
Workflow templates are built by adding elements in the sequence required to function as intended. All 
workflow templates must start with a Trigger element type, but the remaining element types may be 
added in any order. 

Workflows can be tested before they are activated, and their progress monitored when they are in the job 
queue. 

The process for creating and using FLOW Automation’s workflow templates is summarized below.


Technical Support
For questions not addressed in our documentation, contact EditShare Technical Support. Have the exact 
version number of your FLOW implementation ready. 

EditShare strongly recommends that you purchase a support agreement. If you do not have a support 
agreement, a per-incident rate may be available. 

Please contact EditShare Technical Support at the following URL:  

http://www.editshare.com/support 

   

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Chapter 2: Getting Started 
This chapter describes starting FLOW Automation and its basic functions. 

Starting FLOW Automation


To start FLOW Automation: 

1. Click on the Login button on the FLOW Landing page.

The login screen opens.

2. Enter your FLOW username and password into the named fields, and click Log In. 
3. Click the Remember Login box, if your browser prompts you, to keep your login details for the 
next log in. 
4. Click OK. 

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FLOW Automation Views


FLOW Automation is divided into two main views: Design and Monitor views. 

Automation Design View


FLOW Automation opens in Design view, which is divided into the following areas:   

Item  Description 

1  Template list. 

2  Palette containing Triggers, Inputs, Filters, and Tasks used with this template. 

3  Workflow design window. 

4  Workflow design tab. 

5  Workflow monitor tab. 

6  Template settings. 

7  Template components. 

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Item  Description 

1  Add a new template icon. 

2  Delete template icon. 

3  Export template icon. 

4  Activate template icon. 

5  Duplicate template icon. 

6  Import template icon. 

7  Test template icon. 

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Automation Monitor View
The Automation Monitor view displays the jobs that are queued, activated, being processed, and those 
that have completed. The view is accessed by clicking the Monitor tab.

Item  Description 

1  Monitor tab 

2  Job actions 

3  Job history 

4  Job filter 

5  Job history summary 


  

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Arranging the Desktop
The desktop can be resized, and can be scrolled and zoomed. 

Resizing the Desktop


You can resize the desktop or individual panels by dragging with your mouse. Note that there are limits to 
the amount that you can resize the desktop or its panels. 

Position your mouse between panel frames so that it changes to a double-arrow, 


then, with the left button held down, drag your mouse to move the panel frames left 
  or right. 

Likewise, you can move panel frames up and down. 

Scrolling and Zooming the Design Window


If you are building complex Workflow Templates, you can extend the Design Window to accommodate 
your designs, using one of the following: 

1. Making the Automation window full screen by clicking on the Maximize button on your Windows 
or Mac. 
2. Use your mouse scroll wheel to scroll up and down within the Design Window. 
3. Hold down the Ctrl key (Windows) or Cmd key (Mac) while using your mouse scroll wheel to zoom 
in or out of the Design Window. 

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Setting the Language in Your User Profile
By default, your FLOW user name displays at the top of the desktop. By clicking on your user name you 
can change the language used within FLOW or you can logout of FLOW Automation. 

1. Click on your user name, located at the top right of the page. The Settings window opens.

 
2. To change the Language presented, click on the actual language and select the desired language. 
The language is changed to the specified language. 
3. You can continue to work on your workflow or click Log out, to exit. 

Workflow Settings Menu


The Settings Menu is accessed from the Settings button. The menu sets the maximum number of jobs that 
Automation runs at a time, as well as the maximum number of jobs Automation holds in its queue. You 
can change the settings to optimize system performance or to reduce activity for diagnostic purposes. 

Exiting FLOW Automation


To exit the FLOW Automation application, click on your username and then click ​Log out​. 

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Chapter 3: Workflow Template 
Designer 
Workflow templates are built within the Design tab of FLOW Automation and defines the workflow to be 
automated. Within the Design tab you can create new blank templates, save existing ones, or save as 
different templates. 

Note: All Elements and parameters are listed in "Chapter 4: Element Library" on page 37. 

About the Workflow Template Palette


All workflow templates have elements, which can be connected together to form a template. These palette 
elements include the following: 

● Triggers 
● Input 
● Filters 
● Tasks 

Triggers
Triggers are elements that are used to start workflow templates. A trigger can be a time of day, an interval 
of time, or a change in a watched folder or file. A Manual trigger is provided for On Demand templates, and 
is also useful for testing templates during the design stage. All workflow templates MUST start with a trigger. 

For a complete list and description of trigger elements, see ​Trigger Elements​. 

Inputs
There are two types of input, those specific to a storage space and those for search filtering. 

● Media Space - Sets a specific location from where files are processed by other downstream elements. 
● Project - Points to an already existing project within FLOWStory or AirFLOW. 
● Search - Applies a search criteria on files which are processed by other downstream elements. 
Complex search expressions can be built by combining parameters. 

For a complete list and description of input elements, see ​Input Elements​. 

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Filters
Filters provide more specific inputs to template elements. A Filter element differs from search input 
elements in that it provides two possible outputs: one where the filter condition is true, and the other 
where the condition is false. 

For example, a filter can be defined to check if a file video codec is AVC Intra 100Mb 1080i or not:

● If true, content of this type can be copied to a specific location 


● If false, the content can be transcoded to this format 

For a detailed description of filter elements, see ​Filter Elements​. 

Tasks
Tasks are the jobs that are carried out on the results of a filter or trigger. Tasks can include transcoding 
media, scanning, copying or moving files and folders to storage spaces, or uploading files to FTP sites or 
cloud services. You can also send email reports of tasks that Automation has performed. 

For a complete list and description of task elements, see ​Task Elements​. 

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Joining Elements
There are two methods for joining elements: 

Method 1 (Quick Method)


Use this method to add an element to the Design window and connect it to another element at the 
same time: 

1. While holding down the left mouse button, drag the new element from the template menu and 
position it over an existing element so that the connectors you want to join are highlighted (‘A’).

 
2. Release the left mouse button. The elements are now connected. 
3. Hold down the left mouse button to drag either element into the position you require. 
4. To insert an element between two other elements: 
a. While holding down the left mouse button, drag the new element from the template menu 
onto the Design window. 

b. Continue holding down the mouse button, and position the new element over the elements 
you want to connect, until the connectors are highlighted. 
c. Release the left mouse button. The new element is now connected to the other elements. 

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Method 2
Use this method when the elements are already in the Design window but have not been connected, or 
have inputs or outputs that are not connected: 

1. Hold down the left mouse button over the connector of the first element and then drag across to 
the connector of the second element. 

2. Release the mouse button. 


3. The two elements are connected. 

Creating a Simple Workflow Template


In the following example we will create a workflow template that scans and converts media from one 
format to another that you trigger on a clip in the FLOW Story client application. When this has been done, 
a project is created in FLOW Story and the resulting clips are added to it. 

Adding an External Trigger Element


Triggers are elements that initiate a workflow. You must start every template with a Trigger. An external 
trigger is initiated in an external application, for example in FLOW Story. To add an external Trigger: 

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1. Click on the Palette tab.

 
2. Left-click, hold, and drag the desired trigger on to the work area of the Designer. In this example, 
we want to run the template in FLOW Story so we select the External Trigger.

 
3. A full size version of the Trigger displays on screen. Drag with the mouse to position the item to 
where exactly on the screen you want it. 

Note: An exclamation mark on a red background displays on the trigger element, indicating that some of 
the necessary details have not been specified for this trigger.

4. Optional: Type a name for the Trigger element in the Components tab. The name displays on the 
trigger element in the Design area. 
5. Optional: Select a color for the Trigger display by clicking the white square and selecting a color 
from the palette. 

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6. Select what item in the Workflow you want to run the template from. In this example, we select clips 
from the drop-down list which indicates that this template is run from a clip within FLOW Story. 
7. Select which users can run the template. 
8. Select whether this template is shown in the client applications. 

Adding a Task Element


The Task element is the part that does the function we have asked Automation to do. The Task element 
allows us to configure options, such as the transcode option for the wrapper and the encoding method. 

1. Click on the Palette tab. 


2. Scroll down to Tasks and select the desired task from the Task list. In this example, we want to 
transform media from one format to another, so we shall select Transcode. 

3. Drag the selected task on to the work area of the Designer. A full size version of the task displays 
on screen. 
4. Drag the task with the mouse to position the item to the right of the Time Trigger element created 
earlier. An exclamation mark on a red background displays on the Task element. 

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5. On the Components tab, select the task and enter the following: 
● User display name - Enter a name for the Task element or you can leave this as the default 
name. The name displays on the task element in the Design area. 
● Clip Name - Enter the clip name for the output name. 
● Destination Media Space - From the drop down list, select the storage space where you want 
the transcoded media saved. 
● Destination Folder - Enter the name of the destination output folder. 
● Preserve Path - Click to preserve the folder path of the source. 
● Wrapper - Select the wrapper type from the drop-down list. 
● Encoding - Select the Encoding method to be used from the drop-down list. 
● Channel - Select the channel or channels FLOW uses for transcoding. 
● User - Leave this blank to use FLOW Control setup “automation” user or 
● $USER$ to use the user that activates this template or any other FLOW user. 
● Password - Enter a password for this task element. 
● Maintain Source Metadata - Select to copy metadata from the source file to the output file. 
● Maintain Markers - Select to copy markers from the source file to the output file. 
● Skip if output exists - Select to skip the output if the output matching the codec and wrapper 
exist. 
● Update Avid PMR - Select update Avid PMR file. This is only valid if Avid destination media 
space is used. 
● Preserve Data Tracks - Select to preserve data tracks in the output file, if it is present in the 
source file. 
● Start Handle - add a handle to the start of transcoded clips, when transcoding markers. 
● End Handle - add a handle to the end of transcoded clips, when transcoding markers. 

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● Consolidated Sequences - Select to consolidate sequences and consolidate into one output 
clip. If this is not selected, each sequence entry will be indi- vidually transcoded to a new clip. 
6. Connect the two elements by holding down the left mouse button over the External trigger 
connector and then dragging it across to the input connector of the task element.

Testing the Workflow Template


Before deploying your workflow template on FLOW Automation, you should ensure the elements are 
connected correctly and then test the template. To test the template: 

1. Click on the Test Template icon. 


2. In the template list, an activity icon displays to the right of the template. 
3. The Automation Test Run window opens. 
4. The Test Run window displays the principle parameters set for your template and each completed 
stage of your template. If the test failed to run at any point, an error message displays. Click OK to 
close the window. 
5. To view more details about the test run, click Show Details. 
6. The Test Run window opens a second display area with more detailed information. 
7. Click OK to close the window. 
8. If there is a major error in your template, rectify the reported error and retest your template. If 
your template is running as intended, you can activate it on the FLOW system. See ​Activating and 
Deactivating a Workflow Template​. 

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Completing the Automation Template
With the storage space needing to be scanned specified, you need to specify what occurs when this 
completes. To do this, use this notification task to specify the project that is created in FLOW Story, and 
the files that are added to it. 

1. Click on the Palette tab and scroll down to the Tasks section. 
2. Select the Task you require from the List and drag the Notification task on to the work area of the 
Designer. In this example, we want to create a project in FLOW Story so we will select the Project task. 
3. A full size version of the Trigger displays on screen. Drag with the mouse to position the item to 
the right of the Time Trigger element created earlier. An exclamation mark on a red background 
displays on the Task element. 
4. Connect the two elements by holding down the left mouse button over the Transcode Task 
connector and drag it across to the input connector of the Project Task element. 

5. From the Components tab, under Project, enter a name for the project, for example mfh1. 
6. Specify a folder name. In this example the name used is %d-mov-mezz. This uses the current date 
appended by the text -mov-mezz. 
7. Specify an operation that occurs when this task is run. This case we specify add which creates a 
project in FLOW Story. 
8. Specify who owns the task. 
9. Select the Allowed users check box to allow any user on the system to run this automation task. 

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Activating the Automation Template
You must activate an automation template before it can run as a scheduled task. Acti- vating a template 
locks it down so no one else can use or make changes to it.

1. In the Design view, click on the Templates tab. 


2. Click on the desired workflow template to be activated. The selected template displays in the 
Design window. 

3. Click the Activate button.  


4. The Activate button changes to a Deactivate button and the template now displays as a Job in the 
Automation Schedule. 
5. The Edit icon and User name display are removed from the template and replaced by an 
animated, green Activated icon. 

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Accessing Automation within FLOW Story
Now that you have created an external automation template, you can access and run the template in the 
FLOW Story Client. 

Note: You must have permission rights to view and run Automation Templates. Ask your administrator if you are 
unsure.

1. Log in to FLOW Story with the appropriate permissions. 


2. Right-click a clip in and select Automation. 
3. Select the name of the Automation template that you have created. 
4. The automation job is requested and the Transcode task is started. The project is created and the 
outputted files are added to it. 

Extending Workflow Template Functionality


You are not limited to the Filter example shown here. You can keep adding Input, Filter and Task elements 
in any combination to create more complex and powerful workflow templates. Refer to "Chapter 4: 
Element Library". 

You can also combine expressions to produce more refined selections in your templates. See ​Combining 
Expressions​. 

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Using Decision Filters
Filters are one of the more powerful features of Automation as they provide two conditional outputs - true 
or false. In the following example, we shall create a workflow template that watches a storage space and 
sends an email notification when a .mov or .mpeg file is added to that space. 

The process is divided into the following stages: 

● Creating a Template with a Watch Folder Trigger  


● Adding a Metadata Filter Element 
● Adding a Notification Task 
● Adding a Task to the Second Metadata Filter Output 

Creating a Template with a Watch Folder Trigger


To create a workflow template and add a Watch Folder trigger: 

1. Click on the Templates tab and create a new workflow template called ‘Watch Folder Demo’. See 
Creating a Simple Workflow Template​. 

2. Click on the Palette tab and scroll down to the Triggers section. 
3. Click and add a Watch Folder trigger. 
4. Click on the Components tab and configure the Watch Folder with the following parameters: 
a. Media Space: A valid storage space that you have access to. 
b. Folder: A valid folder in the storage space that you have access to. 
c. Watch For: Select Items Added. 

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d. File Names: *.mov; *.mpg (use a semicolon to separate entries). 
e. Ignore: Leave blank. 
f. Scan Type: Leave as Asset to refer to individual files. 
g. Min File Size: Leave as is. 

See "Adding an External Trigger Element" on page 20. 

5. You can now proceed to ​Adding a Metadata Filter Element​. 

Adding a Metadata Filter Element


In this example, the Metadata Filter element is used to search for files with the text string ​election​ in 
them. To add the Filter element: 

1. Click on the Filters section of the Palette tab. 


2. Left-click on the Metadata Filter to select it. 
3. Drag the selected trigger on to the work area of the Designer. 
4. A full size version of the Filter displays on screen. Drag with the mouse to position the item to the 
right of the Task element. An exclamation mark on a red background displays on the filter element. 
5. Select Filename from the first Condition drop down list. 

6. Select the condition ​contains​ from the second drop down list. 
7. Type the word election into the text box. 
8. Using the mouse, drag the Scan Task output connector onto the Metadata Filter input connector to 
connect the two elements together. The exclamation marks on the Watch Folder and Metadata 
elements are removed. 

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9. You can now add other elements to the Y and N outputs of the filter element. To add a Notification 
task, see ​Adding a Notification Task​. 

Adding a Notification Task


The Notification task sends an email notification to a nominated recipient. To add the Notification task to 
the Watch Folder template: 

1. Click on the Palette tab and scroll down to Tasks and select Notification. 

2. Left-click on the Notification task and drag the element on to the work area of Design. A full size 
version of the Task element displays on screen. 
3. Set the Notification parameters with the following values: 
a. Email To: Your email address 
b. Email From: A return email address 
c. Email Title: The subject title for your email 
d. Email Message: The text of your Email message 
e. Email Message Detail: Select Full or Summary from the drop down list 
f. Maximum Items to List: Maximum items to include in this list. 
g. HTML Format: Specify whether or not to use HTML format for this notification. 
4. Notify uploader - This option when selected will send an email to the user that performed the 
upload task in Story or AirFLOW that the upload was completed. 
5. Using the mouse, drag the Metadata Filter ‘Y’ output connector onto the Notification Task input 
connector to connect the two elements together. The exclamation mark on the Notification 
element is removed. 

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6. Save and test the workflow template as described in ​Testing the Workflow Template​. 
7. When the test has started, upload or save a ​.mov​ or ​.mpeg​ file to the target directory, in order to 
initiate the Watch Folder. 

Adding a Task to the Second Metadata Filter Output


To make the most use of the Filter element’s capability, you can add a second task to the ‘N’ output to 
carry out a task for when the Filter condition is false. You can choose any task that suits your 
requirements. The procedure is the same as described in ​Adding a Notification Task​. A list of available 
tasks and their parameters is given in "Chapter 4: Element Library". 

Element Colors and Notes


To improve the readability, you can color code the elements you place inside your workflow templates, 
and add notes to those elements and templates.  

Changing Element Colors


By default, all elements are colored silver. You can change the color of individual elements to assist in 
identifying element types or those assigned to specific tasks, etc. 

1. When you have added the element to the work area, click on the element you want to change. The 
current color of the element displays as a box in the Properties area.  

2. Click on the box. 


3. The color palette opens. 
4. Click on the color you require. 
5. The element changes to the color you selected. 
6. To change the color again, repeat steps 1 to 3, or click the Undo button to return to the default 
(gray) color. 

31 
Renaming Elements
You can rename individual elements so that it is easier to identify their purpose when you or other users 
edit them in the future. 

1. With the template open in Design view, click on the element that you want to rename. The 
properties for the selected element display below the Components tab. 
2. Click on the User display name and change the name, as desired. The name entered displays 
inside the element in the Design window. 

Adding Notes to Workflow Templates


You can add a note to workflow templates to describe their function for when you or other users update 
them in the future. 

1. With the template open in Design view, double-click the text below the Note label. The text area 
changes to a text box. 
2. Type the text you want displayed into the text box and then press Enter on the keyboard. 

Workflow Template Management


Setting Concurrent Jobs
You may want to run two or more jobs at the same time from the same workflow template. For example, 
you may want to configure the transcode task to use four separate channels, allowing four clips to be 
transcoded at the same time, maximizing the use of the available channels. 

You can set up to ten concurrent jobs in a template, but be aware that setting too many jobs can impact 
on the performance of other workflow templates. 

The Concurrent Jobs setting should not be confused with the number of jobs that are allowed to run in the 
Jobs Queue. 

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1. Type the number of concurrent jobs required directly into the text box.

 
2. The concurrent jobs are set. 

Locking and Unlocking a Template


A padlock icon displays against each item in the workflow template List to indicate whether the template is
locked or not. The padlock icon has two states as shown below:

Locked  Template can only be edited by the owner. 

Unlocked  Template can be edited by anyone. 

The name of the current owner displays to the right of the padlock icon, and the name of the currently 
selected template displays below the Design window. 

When you lock a template in Design View, you are preventing other users from making changes to it. A 
template locked this way cannot be activated. To lock a template in Design View: 

1. Click on the Design tab and select the template you want to lock. 
2. Click on the Lock next to the desired template. The padlock icon in the Templates panel ‘closes’ 
and changes from unlocked to locked. 
3. To unlock the template, click on the Lock again. 

A template is locked automatically when you activate it. See ​Activating and Deactivating a Workflow 
Template​.

33 
Activating and Deactivating a Workflow Template
You must activate a workflow template before it can run as a scheduled task. 

1. In Design View, click on the Template tab. 


2. Click on the workflow template you want to activate. 
3. The selected template displays in the Design window. 

4. Click the Activate button.  


5. The Activate button changes to a Deactivate button and the template now displays as a Job in 
Automation Schedule. See "Chapter 5: Automation Monitoring". 
6. The Edit icon and User name display are removed from the template and replaced by an 
animated, green Activated icon. 
7. To deactivate the template, return to the Design view and click on the Deactivate button.

Copying Workflow Templates


To save time, you may want to create a new template based on an existing workflow template, in which 
case you start by making a copy of the original. 

1. In Design View, click on the Templates tab. 


2. Click on the template you want to copy, and then right-click and select Duplicate template. The 
Save template as a dialog box is displayed. 

3. In the dialog box, enter the name for the template copy, and then click OK. (The name must be 
unique.) A copy of your template is created. 

34 
Deleting Workflow Templates
If you have workflow templates which you no longer need, you can delete them so they do not clutter up 
the Template list in Design View. 

If you have templates which you may want to use at a later date, you can always save them as JSON files 
and retrieve them when you do need them. See ​Exporting Workflow Templates​. 

1. In Design View, click on the Templates tab. 

2. Click on the Template you want to delete, and then click the Delete icon.  
3. The template is deleted. (Automation does not give any warning that your template is about to 
be deleted.) 

Creating Log Files for Templates


You can start a log file for each workflow template you create in Automation. Although Automation uses 
its own naming system for log files, you can choose which storage space you want the log files to reside. 

You must have a user account enabled for Automation, which has read and write access to the storage 
space where you want the log files saved. The Administrator for your FLOW system can create this account 
for you. See ​Default Automation Account​. 

1. In Design View, select the Template that you want to create a log file for. 
2. Select the Output log file field. 

3. From the Output Log File in drop down list, select the storage space where you want the log file 
saved. Make sure you have read and write access to the storage space you select. 
4. Log files are written in text (.txt) format to the location you specify. Automation creates a name for 
the log file based on the job name displayed in the Automation Job Queue. 

35 
Exporting and Importing Workflow Templates
You can move workflow templates from one Automation system to another using the Export and Import 
buttons in Design View. Workflow templates are converted to JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format, 
and preserve the locations, connections and properties of your elements, including element colors and 
notes. 

You can also save a copy of workflow diagrams from the Design window as a Portable Network Graphics 
(PNG) file. This is useful when you need to provide supporting documentation for templates you are 
designing for customers and other users. 

Exporting Workflow Templates


To export a workflow template: 

1. In Design View, click on the Templates tab. 


2. Right-click on the template you wish to export. 

3. Click on the Export template item. 


4. In the Explorer or Finder dialog box that opens: 
a. Navigate to the folder where you want to save the exported file 
b. Select the file type you want from the Explorer or Finder drop down list (JSON or PNG). 
c. Type the name of the export file. 
d. Click OK to save the file. 

36 
Importing Workflow Templates
Importing a template file overwrites any existing content that you may have in the destination template. 
To import a workflow template: 

1. In Design View, click on the Templates tab. 


2. Open an existing or blank template into which you want to import your template data. Make sure 
that it is unlocked (a green padlock icon displays to the right of the template). 
3. Click on the Import button. 
4. In the Explorer or Finder dialog box that opens: 
a. Navigate to the folder where the template file is located 
b. Click OK to select the file for import. 
5. The file is imported into your template. 
6. Click on Save to save the contents of your new template. 

37 
Chapter 4: Element Library 
This chapter describes the elements available in FLOW Automation and the properties that can be set. 

Note: The color and name property fields of each Element description in this chapter have been removed as they 
are common to all Elements in FLOW Automation. 

See Changing Element Colors and Renaming Elements. 

Introduction

Considerations for System Resources


To avoid disruption to your users, you should use Time Triggers to schedule workflow templates that are 
resource hungry, e.g. file system backups, to run when network activity is at its lowest. For example, if 
your organization works between 9am and 6pm, with occasional evening shifts ending at 9pm, schedule 
your template to run between 10pm and 7am. See Time Trigger. 

If you run a number of templates at ‘off-peak’ times, you should spread the start of times of these over the 
off-peak period. Do not schedule all of your templates to start at the same time. 

Default Automation Account


You can create a user account for scheduled jobs where a user has not been specified for a particular 
Automation job. Should you wish to create such an account, it must have read /write access to all the 
storage spaces on which Automation jobs are to be performed. If you do not want this user account to be 
used for any of the FLOW client applications, you can disable the relevant privileges in FLOW Control. 

See the FLOW Control Guide for information about creating user accounts and setting user privileges in FLOW. 

Masstech FlashNet Storage Login


Flashnet requires a reverse SMB mount to operate; therefore you must provide the correct authorized 
user credentials to the storage system (Editshare or 3rd party), so Flashnet can access the storage. It is 
recommended that the SMB login is the Flashnet default name sglsvc and the password Flashnet1. In the 
case of EditShare storage this should be setup for the required spaces using the EditShare storage 
manager, in the case of 3rd party storage it’s user control manager should be used to add the default 
Flashnet user. 

38 
Using Automation
FLOW can transfer files to and from FlashNet using FLOW Automation’s Copy Task. The storage spaces to 
be read or written to by FlashNet must be made Public or assigned to the user account that will be 
running FLOW Automation jobs. 

1. In FLOW Automation, create the required workflow, including the Copy task to carry out the copy 
to or from the storage space that you have created for the FlashNet storage group. 
2. The Copy task works the same way as any other Automation Copy task between spaces. 
● To backup files to FlashNet, specify the storage space for the FlashNet group in the To space 
parameter of the Automation task. 
● To restore files and partial files from Flashnet, locate the files using either a Search or storage 
space input to the Copy task. 

Caveats
The following limits should be noted: 

● User and password must be specified in the Copy task and must have access to the FlashNet space 
● When moving files with the Remove Original parameter, deletion on the source location does not 
occur immediately as this operation is scheduled by the Flashnet system. 
● Masstech FlashNet does not support folders. If you specify a folder in an Automation field, 
FlashNet ignores it. 

Masstech MassStore Integration


Masstech MassStore is a storage and archive system. The MassStore system contains a disk based cache 
store and a workflow system that transfers files to and from various archive storage backends including 
LTO8 tape. It automatically creates proxies for files that are copied to it. Remote access is via an XML 
based API called MMP. 

FLOW Integration
The MassStore system is presented as a media space type and accessed via copy and delete operations in 
the transfer service, which in turn can be driven by FLOW Story, FLOW Automation, or the FLOW REST API. 

This operates similar to the existing integration with FlashNet, although there is no partial file restoration 
support. Files may be exchanged with media spaces that are accessible via SMB. MassStore pulls and 
pushes files from locations specified to it with UNC paths. 

39 
MassStore Server Configuration
MassStore is hosted on Windows 2016 server. 

A user must be configured for FLOW to use when accessing the MMP API. There also needs to be a 
MassStore location of type MMP for FLOW to use as a target for transfer. Information required for the 
setup from MassStore to ES FLOW Control includes: 

● MassStore host (name or address, must be resolvable by the EditShare host). 


● MassStore Storage location. 
● MassStore Username. 
● MassStore Password. 

The EditShare storage location must be configured to allow overwrite, or there will be problems with file 
restoration. 

MassStore provides UNC paths to access files in FLOW media spaces. The credentials to access these 
spaces are stored in the Windows Credential Manager. 

For Editshare storage this user needs access to individual spaces using the Editshare Manager tools. The 
following setup is recommended: 

1. Create a user profile to handle MassStore transfers in EditShare systems and grant it access to all 
storage spaces. 
2. Add the user above to the Windows Credential Management tool on the MassStore Host. Make 
sure the EditShare host can be resolved by the MassStore Host and add an entry to the file 
<Windows>/system32/etc/hosts. 
3. Copy operations can be performed via Automation Copy tasks or via FLOW Story by right clicking 
Menu -> Archive. 

FLOW Media Space Configuration


Configure the FLOW media space as follows: 

1. Ensure that MassTech MassStore storage is licensed. A media space of type MassTech MassStore 
will be added using the FLOW Control Storage Management tab. 
2. Specify the IP address, the port should be the default value of 16888. The storage location, 
username, and password are as configured on the MassStore system, as mentioned above. 
3. Use the Test button to ensure that FLOW is able to sign in to the MassStore API. 

40 
Ranged Markers

Ranged Markers can be used as inputs, triggers and filters, and are entered in the FLOW Story and 
AirFLOW panels. Ranged markers can be used in Automation elements as follows: 

Metadata Item  Data Type  Operators 

Marker  Text  is, is not, contains, does not contain, starts with, ends with 
Comments 

Marker Time  Time  is, is not, later than, later than or equal to, earlier than, 
(hh:mm:ss)  earlier than or equal to 

Marker Name  Text  is, is not, contains, does not contain, starts with, ends with 

Marker Time  Time  is, is not, later than, later than or equal to, earlier than, 
(hh:mm:ss)  earlier than or equal to 

Marker Rating  Integer (1 to 5)  is, is not, less than, greater than 

Ranged Markers can be applied to the following: 

● Metadata (Trigger) 
● Metadata (Filter) 
● Search (Input) 
● Transcode (Task) 

You can use these metadata items to filter out ranged marker entries that you may not want to use, or to 
make other decisions based on their values. For example, if you use a Metadata trigger to start a 
Transcode task, you could filter out clips or captures containing ranged markers based on their Rating (1 
to 5) - or filter media based on their properties. 

The Transcode task has the option to preserve log entries from the source material, allowing Automation 
to perform further actions on those metadata items in subsequent stages of your workflow project. 

41 
Trigger Elements
All workflow templates must start with a Trigger element. With the exception of the Manual Trigger, 
Trigger elements start templates when a specified condition is met, e.g. time of day, metadata change. A 
Manual trigger can only be started by user intervention. All other trigger elements can also be started 
manually, if required. 

External Trigger
You can use External Triggers to activate automation templates from client applications. For an 
Automation template to be available to a user in a client it must adhere to the following guidelines: 

● The template must be active. 


● The user must be one of the allowed users (or the template must be set to Public so anyone can 
access it). 
● The selected asset must be of the correct type. 

PARAMETERS: 
 

Trigger on  Specifies which asset type(s) the automation template applies to. 
For example, if a template only triggers on Clips it will be available for clips only; 
not any other asset type. 

Allowed users  Controls who is allowed to activate the template. When set to Is Public anyone can 
activate the template. Alternatively you can select specific users. 

Show in Clients  Whether the template is shown in client applications (set this to false if you only 
want it to be available to trigger via FLOW's API and it is not intended to be shown 
in client applications). 

42 
Interval Trigger
An Interval Trigger is used to start a template at a regular interval. An Interval Trigger has only one parameter.

PARAMETERS: 
● Interval: Interval in hours, minutes, seconds, up to a maximum of 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds. 

Set the longest interval that is acceptable for your template. Setting a shorter interval of a few minutes or 
seconds may take up more resources on your FLOW system, resulting in poor performance for your users. 

The maximum interval you can set is 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. If you want to run a template 
once per day, you must use the Time Trigger element. 

Manual Trigger
A Manual Trigger provides an ‘On Demand’ or manual start where no other definable condition can be 
used to start a template. 

PARAMETERS:​ None 

To start a manual trigger: 

1. In Automation, click the Design tab and then click the Template tab. 
2. Click on the Template you want to run. 
3. Click the Activate button. 

43 
Metadata Trigger
A Metadata Trigger is used to start templates when any or a specific metadata property is changed to a 
given value.

PARAMETERS: 

Fire on any change  Select the box to start the template when any metadata property has been 
changed. 

Match  Sets the criteria to be matched before the template can be started. The criteria 
is in three parts. 

● Select metadata from the drop down list 


● Select the operator (is, is not, contains, etc.) 
● Enter the free form text the criteria is applied to The Fire on any change box must be un-selected. 

Time Trigger
A Time Trigger is used to start templates at a specific time of day, week, or month.

PARAMETERS: 

Day  Day of the week to start, range Monday to Sunday. 

Occurrence  Sets the interval. The options are: Every day, Every week, Every month, Once. 
Selecting ‘Once’ creates a one-time timed event for the Template. 

Start  Sets the start date. 

Time  Sets the start time. 

If your template uses a significant amount of network resources, you should schedule these to run when 
they will cause the least disruption to your users. See Considerations for System Resources. 

44 
Watch Folder Trigger
A Watch Folder Trigger starts a template when files are added to, or removed from, a user specified 
storage space folder. In addition to monitoring file size, the modification time of files are checked to make 
sure that triggers are not initiated on files that are still changing.

PARAMETERS 

Create Proxies  Select the box if you want proxies created when new clips are placed in the 
watched storage space or folder. 

Recursive  Select to display all of the files and directories under the storage space folder. 

Storage Space  Select the required storage space from the drop down list. 

Folder  If you want to select a folder within a storage space, type the name of the folder in 
this field. You can specify multiple folders by separating each folder name with a 
comma (,). 

Watch For  Select ‘Items Added’ or ‘Items Removed’ from the drop down list. 

45 
File Type  Type the extension of the file type you want watched. You can specify a range of 
file types by using wildcards: 

? - Replace the wildcard with a valid single character, for example: 

.mp? allows .mp3. and .mp4 file types 

* - Replace the wildcard with any number of valid characters, for example: 

.m* allows .mp3, .mp4, .mov, .mpg, .mpeg file types, and so on. 

You can also specify multiple file types by separating each type with a semicolon, 
for example: 

.avi; .mp4; .wmv 

File types are case insensitive - for example: MXF is the same as mxf. 

Ignore  If you specified a range of file types to watch in the previous field, you can specify 
a file extension you do not want watched. You can also use wildcards to specify a 
range of file types to ignore. 

? - Replace the wildcard with a valid single character, for example: 

.mp? allows .mp3. and .mp4 file types 

* - Replace the wildcard with any number of valid characters, for example: 

.m* allows .mp3, .mp4, .mov, .mpg, .mpeg file types, and so on. 

You can also specify multiple file types by separating each type with a semicolon, 
for example: 

.avi; .mp4; .wmv 

Scan  Specifies the type of scan performed. Asset refers to individual files, while Quick, 
Normal and Full are the Scan Types described in the FLOW Browse User Guide 
and the FLOW Administrator’s Guide. Select Asset, Quick, Normal or Full from the 
drop down list. 

Minimum File Size  Type the minimum file size, in bytes, that will trigger the Watch Folder task. The 
default is 1024 bytes. 

46 
You can run the Watch Folder trigger without other elements connected to it. This is useful if you just want 
to scan new content arriving in a folder without scanning the whole storage space. 

A scan of the storage space is started when a change in a watched folder is detected - there is no need to 
follow this trigger with a Scan task. 

Input Elements
Input elements apply specific user-defined criteria which are processed by downstream elements. There 
are two types of input element, storage space and Search. 

Storage Space Input


A Storage Space Input sets a specific location from where files are processed by other downstream elements.

PARAMETERS: 
 

Folders   If you want to select a folder within a storage 


space, type the name of the folder in this field. You 
can specify multiple folders by separating each 
folder name with a comma (,). 

Storage Space  Select the storage space from the drop down list. 

   

47 
This element applies the same action on all files in the specified storage space. If you associate 
a Delete Task with this element, all files in the storage space you specify will be deleted. 

If you want to delete selected files in a storage space, use the Search Input element instead. 

See the following diagram: 

Deletes ALL files in the specified 


storage space. 

Deletes selected files in the 


specified storage space. 

If you want to delete files in one folder of a storage space but not in other folders, then you need to use 
the storage space input element, specify the folder, and then insert a Search input element between that 
and the Delete Task. 

48 
Search Input
A Search Input applies a search criteria on files which are processed by other downstream elements. This 
uses the same search functionality used in other members of the FLOW applications suite.

PARAMETERS: 

Sets the criteria to be matched before the template can be started. The criteria is in three 
parts. 
Searc ● Select metadata from the drop down list 
h ● Select the operator (is, is not, contains, etc.) 

Input Enter the free form text that the search criteria is to be applied to 

Match  Choose between match Any or All of the words. 

Complex search expressions can be built by clicking on the + button to create additional parameters. 

Filter Elements
A Filter element differs from search input elements in that it provides two possible outputs: one where the 
filter condition is true, and the other where the condition is false. 

49 
Baton QC Filter
Baton™ by Interra Systems is a Quality Control (QC) solution for checking file-based systems. You will 
require a Baton QC server connected to the same network as FLOW.

PARAMETERS: 

Host IP Address  The IP Address of the Baton QC server. 

Template  Set the hostname of the Baton QC server.  

User  The username to log in to the Baton QC server.  

Password  Password for the Baton QC account. 

Priority  Set the priority level from the drop down list. The priority levels are: 

● Immediate 
● Urgent  
● High  
● Normal  
● Low 

COMPATIBILITY: 
This task has been tested with Version 6.4 of Baton QC. 

WEBSITE: 
http://www.interrasystems.com/ 

50 
Metadata Filter
The Metadata Filter tests the condition and, if it is true, the input is passed to the element or task 
connected to the ‘Y’ output. If the condition is false, the input is passed to the element or task connected 
to the ‘N’ output. 

The Conditions drop down list contains a wide selection of system and customized parameter options. 
You can even filter on whether a clip is in a sequence or has asset associations. 

PARAMETERS: 
 

Conditions *  Sets the criteria to be matched before the template can be started. The criteria is in 
three parts. 

● Select metadata from the drop down list 


● Select the operator (is, is not, contains, etc.) 

Enter the free form text that the search criteria is to be applied to 

Match  Choose between match Any or All of the words. 

* Functionality can be extended by using the features described in Fields with Combined Input Values. 

Complex search expressions can be built by clicking on the + button to create additional parameters. 

51 
QScan QC Filter
QScan QC is a fully featured, comprehensive video and audio QC system used to check the integrity of 
your media files. The earlier any issues are found with your media, the easier and quicker it is to rectify 
them. A QScan QC Filter analyzes media files arriving into your facility and automatically performs a series 
of automated tests on both the audio and video signals, confirming the files meet channel specifications.

PARAMETERS: 

User  The user IP address to access the QScan system (for example, admin).  

Password  Password for the user. 

Host IP Address  The host IP address where the QScan service runs. 

Template  Allows you to choose which QScan QC template to use. This drop-down list 
is filled only if Automation can login to the QScan system, and therefore, 
only works if the user, password and IP are correct. 

Priority  1: low, 2: medium, or 3: high. 

Speed  1: for slow 5: for medium, 10: for full speed, 15: for very-high. 

52 
Maximum Concurrent  The maximum number of files of the QScan project that will be 
Analysis  simultaneously analyzed. 

Create PDF  If this option is checked, at the end of each analysis, the PDF report will be 
retrieved and associated with the clip, stored in the same storage space, 
and they will be associated. 

Field for URL report  Allows you to choose a custom metadata field to set the URL to directly 
access the QC report in HTML format; this field must be a valid URL link. 

Delete Project  If checked, the QScan Project will be deleted once the analysis has been 
completed. This field is disabled by default because if the Project is 
deleted, all the analysis results are also deleted in QScan (but will remain 
in FLOW as Log Entries and a PDF report). 

COMPATIBILITY: 
This task has been tested with Version 3.1.255.38 of QScan QC. 

WEBSITE: 
https://qscan.editshare.com/ 

VidChecker QC Filter
VidChecker QC is a file-based Quality Control (QC) solution for automatically checking and correcting video 
and audio in file-based digital video. You will require a VidChecker QC server connected to the same 
network as FLOW.

53 
PARAMETERS: 

Host IP Address  The IP Address of the VidChecker QC server. 

Template  The Host Name of the VidChecker QC server.  

DDrive Letter  The drive letter of the storage space. 

COMPATIBILITY: 
This task has been tested with Version v6.5.10 of Vidchecker QC. 

WEBSITE: 
http://www.vidcheck.com/ 

54 
Task Elements
The Task elements carry out the actual function or functions you set for each template. Some tasks have 
fields where you can incorporate a combination of free text, time of day and metadata types. See Fields 
with Combined Input Values. 

Fields with Combined Input Values

​Note: Task fields with a button have extended functionality, see text below: 

Some tasks, such as Copy and Transcode, have fields where you are not limited to one input type, such as 
typing a value in a text box or selecting an option from a list. Such fields are identified by a button with a 
Cogs icon. You can use the default input type as usual, or add a combination of input types as follows: 

1. Click on the Cogs icon to reveal further options. 

2. Click the Add (+) button to add an input type. 


3. A drop down list displays. Choose the input type you want to use, Free Text, Time of Day or 
Metadata. 
4. A marker displays below the area where your input displays. 
5. Depending on the current input type: 
a. Text box: Type your text in the box. 

55 
b. Drop down list: Select an option from the list. 
6. The value you enter or select displays above the current marker. 
7. Click the Add (+) button to add an input type, and repeat steps 3 to 6. 

Aspera Task
Organizations that have Aspera high-speed file transfer products at their sites can use FLOW Automation 
to accelerate the transfer of media across their sites using accelerated Aspera links. Progress of transfers 
is reported from Aspera back to the FLOW Automation task so the Automation job does not report 
completion until the file has been delivered to the specified remote location. 

You will require two Aspera servers, one connected to the local FLOW network and one to the destination 
(remote) FLOW network.

   

56 
PARAMETERS: 

Local Aspera Server  Type the IP Address of the local Aspera server.  

Remote Aspera Server  Type the IP Address of the remote Aspera server. 

Remote Port  Service access port on the remote Aspera server. The default is 
33001. 

Remote User  The name of the Aspera user on the remote Aspera node. 

Authentication Method  Type the remote authentication method - Password or Public Key. 

Remote Key Path  Path on local Aspera node to private key when using Public Key 
Authentication. 

Remote Key Passphrase  Passphrase for local key on local Aspera node when using Public 
Key Authentication. 

Remote Password  Type the password for the remote Aspera node when using 
password authentication. 

Local Storage Space: Mount Point  Enter the mount point of the EditShare local Aspera node. 

Remote Path  Enter the path to the uploaded files if no EditShare server is 
present. 

Target Rate  Type the target transfer rate for the Aspera in kbps. This setting 
can be overridden by the Administrator of the Aspera server. 

57 
Copy Task
This task is used to copy or move content to a folder within a storage space. To specify the input source, 
precede the task with a storage space Input element.

PARAMETERS: 

To  Select the destination storage space from the drop down list. 

Folder  If you want to copy media to a folder within a storage space, type the name of the 
folder in this field. You can use the following identifiers: 

%d - Inserts the current date 

%t - Inserts the current time 

%dt - Inserts the current date and time 

Remove Original  Select the box if you want to delete the original file. 

User  Type the name of a valid user account that can log in to the storage spaces being 
used. Alternatively, leave blank to select the default Automation† account, or 
$USER$ to select the user account that activated the template. 

† See Default Automation Account. 

Password  The password for the user account that is used to run the template. Type 
$PASSWORD$ if you entered $USER$ in the User field. 

58 
Prioritize   Select the box to grant this task higher priority than non- prioritized tasks. 
Prioritized tasks do not receive any priority over ingests or EditShare QoS streams. 

Preserve Path   Preserve the folder path structure when copying or moving files. 

Include  Copy associated files, such as sidecar files. 


associated files 

Note: If there are two Amazon S3 spaces that have the same setting for Region it is possible to copy between the 
two spaces using the Automation Copy task. However, if the region settings are different, attempts to copy 
between the two spaces will fail. 

Copy with Passthrough Task


This task is used to copy or move content to a folder within a storage space. The task has multiple outputs: 

● Output (Normal) - processes files that have been copied. 


● Success Output (Green) - processes the original file if the copy task is successful. 
● Failure Output (Red) - processes the original file if the copy task fails. 

In the example shown above, the file is copied to the specified storage space and initiates a scan of the 
destination folder or space. If the copy task was successful, the original file is passed to the green output 
and is deleted. If the copy task was unsuccessful, the original file is passed to the red output, which 
initiates an email notification. 

59 
To specify the input source, precede the task with a storage space Input element.

PARAMETERS: 
This task has the same parameters as the Copy Task described on Copy Task. 

Delay Task
Inserts a user-defined delay into the workflow. When the delay interval has passed, the next task in the 
workflow is processed. This is useful if you need to insert a delay to allow for one process to complete 
before your template initiates the next task or action. 

PARAMETERS: 
Delay - Type the delay you require as an integer in seconds into the text box. A value of 180 inserts a delay 
of three minutes, a value of 3600 inserts a delay of one hour. 

60 
Delete Task

Use with caution, especially with the storage space input element, because this element applies 
the same action on all files in the specified storage space. If you associate a Delete Task with this 
element, all files in the storage space you specify will be deleted. 

See ​Storage Space Input​. 

Select the type of deletion you want from the Options drop down list: 

PARAMETERS: 

Options  Select the type of deletion you want from the drop down list. 

● Archive - Removes the archive instances of the files on Ark Disk or Tape 
for 3rd party storage. 
● Metadata - Removes all metadata relating to the files.  
● Nearline - Removes low-speed disk based storage.  
● Online All - Removes all online instances of clips. 
● Online Trigger - Removes only the online files defined by either storage 
space, search results or filter upstream in the template. 
● Proxy - Removes the proxy of the selected files. 

User  Type the name of a valid user account that can log in to the storage spaces 
being used. Alternatively, leave blank to select the default Automation† 
account, or $USER$ to select the user account that activated the template. 

† See Default Automation Account. 

Password  The password for the user account that is used to run the template. 

Type $PASSWORD$ if you entered $USER$ in the User field. 

Include associated files  Delete associated files, such as sidecar files. 

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FTP Task
Uploads files to a designated FTP server. The task has multiple outputs: 
● Success Output (Green) - processes the original file if the FTP task is successful. 
● Failure Output (Red) - processes the original file if the FTP task fails. 

In the example shown above, an email notification is initiated when files are transferred successfully. To 
specify the input source, precede the task with a storage space Input element.

   

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PARAMETERS 

Host  Type the IP Address of the FTP server you want to upload to. 

Path  Type the path name to be used on the FTP server. If left blank, a path will be 
created. 

User  Type the name of a valid user account that can log in to the storage spaces being 
used. Alternatively, leave blank to select the default Automation† account, or 
$USER$ to select the user account that activated the template. 

† See Default Automation Account. 

Password  The password for the user account that is used to run the template. 

Type $PASSWORD$ if you entered $USER$ in the User field. 

Port  Type the port number for FTP access into the text box. The most common port 
number for FTP servers is 21. 

File Exists  Select the action to be taken if the file to be uploaded has an identical name to a 
file that already exists on the FTP server. 

● Overwrite - The file on the FTP server is overwritten by the uploaded file 
● Next Unique - A new name is created for the file when it is uploaded to the 
FTP server. 
● Error - Treats the upload request as an error and notifies the user. 
● Ignore - Ignores the upload request. An error message is not sent to the 
user. 

Log  Log - Select the box if you want FTP transfers to be logged. 

Log User  Required only when the Log box is selected. Type the name of a valid user 
account that can log in to the storage spaces being used. Alternatively, leave 
blank to select the default Automation† account, or $USER$ to select the user 
account that activated the template. 

† See Default Automation Account. 

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Log Password  Required only when the Log box is selected. The password for the user account 
that is used to run the template. Type $PASSWORD$ if you entered $USER$ in the 
User field. 

Preserve Path  Preserve the folder path structure when copying or moving files. 

Include associated  Copy associated files, such as sidecar files. 


files: 

Metadata Export Task


Outputs all the metadata that FLOW holds for a clip in its database (including logs and markers) to a single 
file. The metadata is exported to XML format and is saved in the storage space you specify. 

This template requires a valid login to the destination storage space.

   

64 
PARAMETERS: 

Filename  Type the filename of the exported metadata here. You can use the following 
identifiers: 

● %f - Inserts the source filename. 


● %c - Inserts the source clip name. 
● %d - Inserts the current date. 
● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Overwrite  Select this box to allow Automation to overwrite any existing file with the same name 
as the output file. 

Storage Space  The storage space where the metadata is to be exported. Double-click to open a drop 
down list of available storage spaces. 

Folder  The name of the folder, if any, below the storage space where the file is to reside. You 
can use the following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

User  Type the name of a valid user account that can log in to the storage spaces being used. 
Alternatively, leave blank to select the default Automation† account, or $USER$ to 
select the user account that activated the template. 

† See Default Automation Account. 

Password  The password for the user account that is used to run the template. Type 
$PASSWORD$ if you entered $USER$ in the User field. 

Log Entries  Select this box to include Log Entries in exports. 

Markers  Select this box to include Markers in exports. 

Consolidate  Select this box to consolidate all exported metadata into a single file. Note, you must 
specify the storage space and filename destinations. 

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Metadata Task
Sets the selected metadata item to a text value specified by the user.

PARAMETERS: 

Set  Select the metadata item you want to modify from the drop down list. 

Text  In the text box to the right of the drop down list, type the text you want assigned to the 
metadata you selected. You can use the following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Action  Select how you want the text to be positioned relative to any current text from the 
drop down list: 

● Overwrite (default) - Replace any existing text. 


● Append - Add text to the end of existing text.  
● Prepend - Add text to the start of existing text. 

Ensure Space  The Ensure Space check box is used with the Action drop down list. This check box is 
(default)  selected as default, which means that a space character is added between any existing 
text and any new text. When the checkbox is deselected no space character is added. 

Metadata is information about each file on your FLOW system. It is stored in the FLOW database. Some 
metadata, e.g. file creation date, is built in to FLOW whereas other metadata is user defined. Refer to the 
FLOW Administrator’s Guide for further information about metadata and templates. 

66 
Notification Task

PARAMETERS: 

Email To  Type the email address of the recipient. 

To send a notification to multiple recipients, separate each recipient by a 


comma (,). For example, ​user1@acme.com,
user2@acme.com,user3@acme.com.

Email From  Type the email address from where the notification is to originate, e.g. 
notifications@mycompany.com​. 

Email Title  Type the text you want in the Subject field of the email. You can use the 
following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Email Message  Type the text you want to appear before the message text that Automation 
generates. You can use the following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Email Message Detail  Select the format of the email message from the drop down list. The options 
are Summary and Full. 

See the example in ​Adding a Notification Task​. 

67 
Project Task
Creates or removes a FLOW Project or a folder within a project. 

Projects are used to organize media such as video clips, subclips and sequences into folders.

PARAMETERS: 

Project Name  Type the name of the project to be added, removed or modified. 

You can use the following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Folder  If you want to add or remove a folder within a project, type the name of the folder 
here. If this field is left blank, it is the project, not the folder that is deleted. You can 
use the following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

You can specify sub folders using the forward slash character (/). For example: 
grandparent/parent/child. 

The forward slash character ‘/’ is used as the delimiter between folders. 

Operation  Select Add or Remove from the drop down list.  

Owner  Type the name of the owner of the project. 

The default value is $USER$, which assigns ownership to the user who activates the 
template, i.e. clicks the Activate button in Design View. 

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Scan Task
Initiates a Full, Normal or Quick scan of the selected storage spaces.

PARAMETERS: 

Scan Type  Select the type scan you require from the drop down box: 

● Quick: Looks only for new or modified files based on the file path and time 
stamp. Of the three Scan options, this method uses the least system resources. 
● Normal: Checks file IDs and incrementally scans new and modified files. 
● Full: Rescans all files even if they have not changed. This option takes the most 
time and system resources to complete. 

Create Proxies  Select the box to create proxies for newly added media. 

Auto Delete  Select this box to delete material that has been moved from the storage space. 

Storage Spaces  Select the storage space you want to scan from the drop down list. You can add 
multiple storage spaces if required. 

69 
Script Runner Task
The Script Runner task allows running custom scripts that can be written by third parties. The scripts must 
live in the following directory on the server that runs the FLOW Automation service: 

/var/flow/automation/scripts

Example Input: 

The example.py script can be found in the location above and it explains how the example below works: 

Example Input

{
"inputs":
[
{ "asset_files": [
"/mnt/flow/mhallin/myfiles/rushes77.mov"
],
"asset_id": 65
}
],

"output_dir": "/mnt/flow/outputms",
"output_name": "clipname",
"output_subdir": "dir/",
"flow_password": "changeme",
"flow_user": "matt",
"automation_server" : "192.168.1.30",
"admin_server" : "192.168.1.31",
"overwrite": False,
"extra_args" : "hello"

Example Output

[[BEGIN]]
{
"outputs": [
{
"asset_files": ["/mnt/flow/outputms/mydir/testoutput.mp4"],
"scan": true
}
],

"success": true, "associate_with_asset_id" : 22,

"project_id" : 23,
"project_folder_id" : 25
}

70 
[[END]]

Note: this script is installed by FLOW and will be overwritten by any updates. If modifying for your own 
workflow please make a copy. 

Task Outputs
The Task has multiple outputs: 

● Success Output (Green) - processes the original file if the task is successful. 
● Failure Output (Red) - processes the original file if the task fails. 

PARAMETERS: 

Script Name  Select the name of the script that you want to run, for example a script written in 
Python. 

Clip Name  Type the name of the clip that you want to use to trigger the script. 

User  The user name used to run the task, if left blank then the automation user will be used. 

Password  The password for the above user can be left blank if the automation user is used. 

71 
Send To FLOW Site Task
Transfers high resolution media, proxy files, and/or FLOW metadata to other EditShare FLOW systems, 
whether they are on the same site or are separated geographically. This feature requires the destination 
site to be listed in the Sites tab of FLOW Control (see the FLOW Administrator’s Guide for details).

The following There are few extra conditions for the Send To FLOW Site task regarding users: 

● The Editshare Administrator login credentials must be the same on both sites. 
● The user account has to be present on both sites with the same login credentials. 

PARAMETERS: 

User  The user name for both local and destination logon, please make sure this 
user has automation rights. 

Password  The password for the above user. 

Destination Site  Select the name of the destination site from the drop down list. 
Sites are predefined in FLOW Control. 

Destination Storage Space  Select the name of the storage space from the drop down list. Sites and 
their storage spaces are predefined in FLOW Control. 

Overwrite Existing Data  Select the box to allow existing data to be overwritten. 

Copy High-Res Media  Select the box to allow high resolution media to be uploaded. Do not 
select the box if the site has restricted disk space or there are bandwidth 
issues. 

Copy Clip Metadata &  Select the box to include metadata and proxy files with the original clip. 
Proxy 

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Send to Amazon S3 Task
Sends media and other file types to an Amazon S3 Simple Storage Service. You must have registered an 
Amazon Web Service (AWS) account before you can use Automation with this service, and create Buckets 
for the items you wish to store. 

The Task has multiple outputs: 

● Success Output (Green) - processes the original file if the task is successful. 
● Failure Output (Red) - processes the original file if the task fails. 

To specify the input source, precede the task with a storage space Input element.

   

73 
PARAMETERS: 

AWS Access Key Id  Type the AWS Access Key Id for your account in the text box. This can be 
found in the AWS Management console. 

AWS Secret Access Key  Type the AWS Secret Access Key for your account in the text box. This can be 
found in the AWS Management console. 

AWS Region  Select the AWS Region you want to use from the drop down list. 

Bucket Name  Type the name of the Bucket you want data uploaded to. Make sure that you 
have created a Bucket with the same name in your AWS account. 

Path  Type the path name for the folder containing the files you want to send. The 
path in the Bucket will be created if it does not exist. 

Use S3 acceleration  Tick to use the S3 acceleration feature. Acceleration must also be enabled in 
the Bucket, and usage may incur additional charges by Amazon. 

74 
Transcode Task
Note: Automation does not validate the combination of wrappers and codecs you select for this feature. Before 
setting these parameters in your template, refer to the FLOW Supported Formats User’s Reference to verify that 
the selected formats are valid. 

Transcodes media to the selected format.

   

75 
PARAMETERS: 

Clip Name: †  Type the clip name for the output name. You can add the following 
identifiers: 

● %c - Inserts the original clip name. 


● %f - Inserts the original file name. 
● %d - Inserts the current date. 
● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Destination Storage Space: †  From the drop-down list, select the storage space where you want the 
transcoded media saved. 

Destination Folder: †  Type the name of the output folder in the text box. You can add the 
following identifiers: 

● %d - Inserts the current date. 


● %t - Inserts the current time. 
● %dt - Inserts the current date and time. 

Wrapper: †   Select the wrapper to be used from the drop-down list.  

Encoding: †  Select the encoding method to be used from the drop-down list. 

Channel:   Select the channel or channels FLOW uses for transcoding. You can 
choose more than one channel, allowing FLOW to distribute tasks across 
the specified channels for optimal system efficiency. 

Use the following notation to select one or more channels: 

1 - Automation uses Channel 1. 


2 - Automation uses Channel 2. 
1-3 - Automation uses Channels 1, 2, and 3. 
1, 4 - Automation uses Channels 1 and 4. 

Channels can be viewed as virtual slots for ingest and transcoding 


activity. Input sources can be assigned to channels, but channels cannot 
be assigned to inputs. More than one source can be assigned to a 
channel. 

76 
To prevent contention issues with other users, it is recommended that 
you reserve at least one FLOW channel specifically for Automation. See 
the FLOW Administrator’s Guide for further information about channel 
allocation in FLOW. 

User  Type the name of a valid user account that can log in to the storage 
spaces being used. Alternatively, leave blank to select the default 
Automation† account, or $USER$ to select the user account that 
activated the template. 

‡ See Default Automation Account. 

Password  The password for the user account that is used to run the template. 
Type $PASSWORD$ if you entered $USER$ in the User field. 

Maintain Source Metadata  When enabled, any metadata from the source clip is copied to the 
transcoded clip. All associated metadata, including custom metadata, is 
preserved. 

Maintain Log Entries  When enabled, any Log entries from the source clip are copied to the 
transcoded clip. All associated metadata, including custom metadata, 
are preserved. 

Maintain Markers  When enabled, any Markers from the source clip are copied to the 
transcoded clip. All associated metadata, including custom metadata, 
are preserved. 

Skip if output exists  When enabled, skips transcoding if the clip has already been transcoded 
with the same destination and codec selection from this task. 

Update Avid PMR  Click to include the Avid PMR file. This setting is valid only when the 
Destination storage space is AvidStyle or AvidMXF. 

† Functionality can be extended by using the features described in Fields 


with Combined Input Values. 

Preserve Data Tracks  Unclick if you do not want to preserve data tracks when transcoding. 

77 
Start Handle  The value, in seconds, that the task uses to start. 

End Handle  The value, in seconds, that the task uses to end. 

Consolidate sequences  When transcoding sequences, consolidate to a single output clip. If not 
selected, each sequence entry will be individually transcoded to a new 
clip. 

Transcode with Passthrough Task


Note: Automation does not validate the combination of wrappers and codecs you select for this feature. Before 
setting these parameters in your template, refer to the FLOW Supported Formats User’s Reference to verify that 
the selected formats are valid. 

Transcodes media to the selected format. The task has multiple outputs: 

● Output (Normal) - processes files that have been transcoded. 


● Success Output (Green) - processes the original file if the transcode task is successful. 
● Failure Output (Red) - processes the original file if the transcode task fails. 

In the example shown above, the file is transcoded to the specified format and initiates a Metadata Export 
task. If the transcode task was successful, the original file is passed to the green output and is deleted. If 
the transcode task was unsuccessful, the original file is passed to the red output, which initiates an email 
notification. 

PARAMETERS: 
The parameters available for this task are the same as for the Transcode Task described on Transcode Task. 

78 
Conditional Operators
Many elements in FLOW Automation have parameters which test for expressions using conditional 
operators such as ‘is’, ‘is not’, ‘begins with’. The conditions tested are dependent on the parameter type, 
i.e. boolean, text, numerical or date. 

Expressions are in the format: <parameter> <operator> <user-defined value> 

For example, the following expression looks for media whose name (recorded by the Clipname metadata 
field) contains the phrase ‘​Fulchester Rovers​’.

In this example, the phrase can exist anywhere in the clip name. If we want to search for clip names that 
start with ’​Fulchester Rovers​‘ but exclude all other instances of the phrase, we could change the 
operator from ‘contains’ to ‘begins with’. Therefore the clip name ‘​Fulchester Rovers beats
Oldbury Rangers​‘ would be accepted (true) but ‘​Oldbury defeated by Fulchester Rovers​‘ 
would not be accepted (false).

Boolean

This is a 
simple Yes / No test. The user-defined value in this case is a check box. The operators are as follows: 

● is - The condition is true. 


● is not - The condition is false (not true). 

The parameter is tested against metadata with a boolean value, for example to denote when a clip has 
been approved or signed off. 

79 
Text

This applies the following tests to alphanumeric text strings: 

● is - The metadata matches the search text entered. 


● is not - The metadata does not match the search text entered.  
● contains - The metadata contains the search text entered.  
● begins with - The metadata starts with the search text entered.  
● ends with - The metadata ends with the search text entered. 

The parameter is tested against text based metadata, for example a clip name, a storage space, a codec, 
or a user-defined parameter where the user fills in a text box.

Numeric

This applies the following tests to numerical string values:  

● is - The metadata matches the value entered. 


● is not - The metadata does not match the value entered. 
● less than - The metadata less than the value entered.  
● greater than - The metadata greater than the value entered. The parameter is tested against a 
numeric value, e.g. a user rating. 

80 
Date/Time

This applies the following tests to a date and or time value:  

● is - The date/time matches the value entered. 


● is not - The date/time does not match the value entered. 
● later than - The date/time is later than the value entered. 
● earlier than or equal to - The date / time is earlier than or the same as the value entered. 
● earlier than - The date / time is earlier than the value entered. 
● earlier than or equal to - The date / time is earlier than or the same as the value entered. 

The parameter is tested against a date and / or time based value, e.g. the Creation date of a clip. 

Color

This compares the Marker color in a clip to the color palette selection. To open the palette, and select a 
color from it, click on the marker displayed to the right of the operator drop down list.

● is - The marker matches the color selected from the palette. 


● is not - The marker does not match the color selected from the palette. 

The color selection is added to the mark displayed to the right of the operator drop down list. 

81 
Combining Expressions
You can combine two or more expressions into one overall, more powerful, expression for use in your 
templates. 

Example 1
Example 1 looks for clips named ‘Fulchester Rovers’ that have been approved. It uses two expressions, one 
that looks for clips where the Clipname parameter contains the phrase ‘Fulchester Rovers’ and a second 
parameter called ‘Approved’ which has a tick box. Both expressions must be true for the combined 
expression to work, this is done by selecting ‘All’ from the Match drop down list. 

Example also assumes that the Administrator for your FLOW system has created a metadata item called 
‘Approved’ in the form of a box that the user can tick or untick (boolean). 

1. Add a Search Input element to the Design View. Left-click on the element to display its properties 
pro-forma below the Design window. 
2. Create an expression looking for the phrase ‘Fulchester Rovers’ in the clip name.

 
a. Select ‘Clipname’ from the Metadata drop down list. 
b. Select ‘contains’ from the operator drop down list. 
c. Enter ​Fulchester Rovers​ into the text box. 
3. Click on the Add button. 
4. A new Expression pro-forma displays below the first expression.

 
5. Create a new expression that looks for the metadata item called Approved: 
a. Select Approved from the Metadata drop down list. 
b. Select is from the operator drop down list. 
c. Click the box to the right. 

82 
6. From the Match drop down list, select All. 
7. Add further expressions, if required, by clicking on the Add button. 
8. Remove expressions, if required, by clicking on the Remove button. 
9. Complete the template, as required, making sure there is a Trigger element at the start of your 
template, and that it is connected to the Input element created in step 1. 

Example 2
Example 2 looks for clips that contain ‘Fulchester Rovers’ and ‘Oldbury Rangers’. Clips that contain only 
one of the two phrases in their name will be ignored by Automation. 

1. Create an expression which looks for the phrase ‘Fulchester Rovers’ in the clip name, as described 
in steps 1 to 4 as described in Example 1. 
2. Create an expression which looks for the phrase ‘Oldbury Rangers’ in the clip name: 
a. Select Clipname from the Metadata drop down list. 
b. Select contains from the operator drop down list. 
c. Enter Oldbury Rangers into the text box. 
3. From the Match drop down list, select All. 
4. Complete the template, as required, making sure there is a Trigger element at the start of your 
template, and that it is connected to the Input element. 

Example 3
Example 3 looks for clips that contain ‘Fulchester Rovers’ or ‘Oldbury Rangers’. Automation will accept clips 
containing only one or both of the phrases in the clip name. 

1. Create an expression which looks for the phrase ‘​Fulchester Rovers​’ in the clip name, as 
described in steps 1 to 4 as described in Example 1. 
2. Create an expression which looks for the phrase ‘​Oldbury Rangers​’ in the clip name: 
a. Select Clipname from the Metadata drop down list. 
b. Select contains from the operator drop down list. 
c. Enter ​Oldbury Rangers​ into the text box. 
3. From the Match drop down list, select Any. 
4. Complete the template, as required, making sure there is a Trigger element at the start of your 
template, and that it is connected to the Input element. 

83 
Chapter 5: Automation Monitoring 
This chapter describes the operation of the Monitor function in FLOW Automation.

Clicking on the Monitor tab opens the Automation Schedule, which is divided into the following panes. 

● Activated Jobs 
● Queued Jobs Viewer 
● Running Jobs Queue 
● Completed Jobs 

The Jobs Queue is configured through the Settings menu.  

84 
Activated Jobs
The Activated jobs section of the Monitor viewer displays the Jobs that have been activated in the Design 
view. Refer to "Activating and Deactivating a Workflow Template" on page 33. Any Job displayed in this 
viewer may be started manually, even if it has a start time or condition trigger. When a Job is deactivated, 
it is removed from the Activated Jobs Viewer. 

To view the active jobs, select the Monitor tab and then the Activated tab.

Activating Automation Event Triggering


The Event allows triggering (starting) automation jobs on events that happen within FLOW. 

"Triggers on" shows the list of available events, an example is "Upload" so when someone uploads an 
asset into FLOW, this event is fired and can be used to trigger a job. 

You can limit events by media space. In the upload example, this means the trigger would only fire when 
someone uploads an asset to the selected media spaces. 

85 
Queued Jobs Viewer
The Queued Jobs Viewer displays all the scheduled jobs queued for processing by Automation. From 
within this page, the job can be paused, restarted, or removed from the queue.

Each job contains the following information: 

● Job Name 
● Source Template 
● Status 
● Date and Time started 
● Queue Position 
1. Click the Name, Status, Time or Queue Position column header to sort the job order on the 
selected column. If you click on the same column header again, the view toggles between 
ascending and descending order. 

2. You can also change the order of jobs by holding down the left mouse button on an item and 
dragging it into the position you require. 
3. Click on the desired queued item to pause, resume, or remove the item. Hold down the Ctrl or 
Shift key with the mouse button to make multiple selections. 
4. Click on the + button against a job to display individual stages within the job. Click the - button to 
collapse the listing to a single line entry. 

86 
5. To pause selected jobs, click on the Pause button. 
6. To resume the selected jobs, click on the Resume button. 
7. To pause all jobs in the queue, click on the Pause All button. 
8. To resume all jobs in the queue, click on the Resume All button. 
9. To remove selected jobs from the queue, click on the Remove button. A message box prompts you 
to confirm the removal. Click Yes to confirm removal, or No to cancel the operation. 
10. To remove all jobs in the queue, click on the Remove All button. A message box prompts you to 
confirm the removal. Click Yes. 

Running Jobs Queue


The Running Jobs queue displays the progress of jobs currently being processed by FLOW Automation. 
From here you can stop jobs or view individual steps within a job.

Each job is listed with the following information: 

● Job Name 
● Source template 
● Status 
● Date and Time started 
● Progress 

To review or manage jobs in the Running Jobs Queue: 

1. The progress of each job is indicated by a horizontal green bar, together with a numerical display 
of the actual percentage completed. 
2. Click on the + button against a job to expand the listing to display the progress of individual steps 
within that job. Click the - button to collapse the listing to a single line entry. 
3. To stop a job that is in progress: 
a. Click on the job to select it. 
b. Click on the Stop button. A message displays asking you to confirm that the job will be 
removed from the list and that it cannot be recovered.  
c. Click Yes to remove the job or No to cancel the operation. 

87 
Completed Jobs
The Completed job history Log displays jobs that have been processed and reports whether they were 
successful or not. Each job is listed with the following information.

● Job Name 
● Source template 
● Status 
● Date and Time started 
● Progress 

Both the Status and Progress fields are color coded as follows: 

● Completed: Blue 
● Test: Orange 
● Failed: Red 

If Automation issues a warning with a job, it highlights the job with a yellow border. 

Informational Tools
Within the Monitor function the informational tools provide means to use the monitor panel. 

● Summary Box 
● Context Menu 

88 
Summary Box
The Summary box provides a glance at the jobs completed and whether they were a Pass, Fail, or had a 
Warning. 

The following is an extended version of the Summary box provided in drop-down showing job status of 
jobs completed. 

Context Menu
To view the context menu, right-click on the desired job.

   

89 
From here you can: 

● View Details – Displays job messages, errors, warning, time started and finished.

 
● Export – Exports details in CSV format. 
● View Job Template – Returns you back to the Design Grid with the template in question. 
● Delete Job – Removes job from the monitor tab. 

   

90 
Chapter 6: Troubleshooting 
If you are having problems with your FLOW system, see the following topics before you contact your local 
EditShare Technical Support office. 

Network

Cannot Connect to FLOW Server


If you cannot connect to the FLOW Admin server, do the following: 

1. If the IP Address text box displays in the login screen, check that the correct IP address or server 
name is entered in the box. 
2. Verify your connection to the FLOW Admin server as follows: 
a. Open a command line prompt and type ​ping <server name>​ where ​ping <server name> 
is the hostname or IP Address of the AirFLOW server. 
b. If no packets are returned, or the message ​destination host unreachable​ displays, check 
the network cable connection to the LAN port on your workstation. 
c. Verify that your workstation is connected to the network segment as the FLOW server. Verify 
you have a network cable connected and that the LAN port LED is flashing. 
d. Server Groups option only: Verify you are connected to the correct server group at login. 
3. If you use Wi-Fi for working away from your organization, or for AirFLOW, ensure that Wi-Fi is 
switched OFF when you are using a cable network connection for FLOW Browse, FLOW Logger, 
Automation or FLOW Control. 
4. If you still have no connection, contact the administrator for your FLOW system. 

Cannot Log In
Verify that you are using the correct username and password. Passwords are case sensitive, so ensure the 
Caps Lock key is OFF. 

91 
‘Automation service unavailable!’ Message
Message displays when you log in. Automation may take a while to find the FLOW Admin server or you 
have to enter the IP Address of the Admin server every time you log in. 

● Verify that the client workstation is on the same IP address segment as the FLOW Admin server. 
For example, if the server is on ​192.168.8.1​, verify that the client workstation IP address is 
192.168.8.x​, where x is between 2 and 254 inclusive. 
● Verify that the client workstation is not using the same IP Address as any other network device, 
including the FLOW server. 

‘The Automation Service is temporarily unavailable’ Message


This message displays when the server is in maintenance mode. Functions and content will be unavailable 
at this time. The Administrator for your FLOW system will be able to advise when the server can be 
accessed again. 

When the Automation Service is unavailable, you can still make local changes to templates. However, 
because the Automation Templates are stored on the server, any changes must be saved when the service 
is restored to prevent them from being lost. 

No Network Folders or Storage Spaces Visible


Check the following: 

● Verify that the server you are trying to access is online and connected to the network. 

Workflow Template Designer


Test Failed
If there is a major error in your workflow template, for example you have not connected all the elements 
together, or you have set an element property incorrectly, an error message box displays. 

Click OK to close the window. Rectify the reported error in your workflow template and then retest it. 

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Workflow Template does not Run
The Test Run window confirms the template is working but it will not run as a Job in Automation Schedule. 

● Verify that the template has been activated. 


● Ensure that storage space and folder names are valid and that they are accessible to the assigned 
user account, for example the Automation user account. 
● Verify that the number of running and pending jobs allowed in Automation Settings is not 
preventing jobs from running.  

Cannot Open Workflow Template for Editing


You cannot open a Workflow Template for editing if it has been locked by another user. 

● Verify that the template is unlocked (green padlock icon displays). 


● Locked padlock icons are colored red. If you cannot unlock the template, it may have been locked 
by another user. The name of the user that locked the template displays next to the padlock icon. 

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